Irish Taoiseach ‘reassured’ over Tory-DUP deal

LONDON — Ireland's new prime minister said Monday he is "reassured" about a possible deal between the Conservative Party and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week said the British government should not get “too close” to any Northern Irish party, as U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May tries to secure the backing of the Northern Irish unionist party after she lost her House of Commons majority in a general election at the beginning of June. Varadkar said he would emphasize to May the British and Irish governments must remain impartial in Northern Ireland, as stipulated by the Good Friday Agreement.

During a visit to London Monday Varadkar, told a press conference he was "very much reassured by what the prime minister had to say that the agreement, once it is reached, will be published so it will be there for everyone to see."

He said the two prime ministers had spoken about the two governments' "special role" as co-guarantors of Northern Ireland's peace agreement.

"I do of course accept and appreciate and understand the formation of government in Westminster is a matter of course for the MPs elected in Westminster and not for our government," he added.

May told journalists the U.K. government remained "absolutely steadfast" in its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and that discussions were continuing with the DUP over a confidence and supply agreement, which would see the unionist party's 10 MPs back May's government on key votes.

"On reaching such an agreement we will make sure that the details of that are made public so that people can see exactly what that agreement is based on," she said.

Varadkar also said the two prime ministers had discussed Brexit "in some detail."

He said the Irish government's focus would be on the rights of British and Irish citizens to "travel, live, work, study, reside, access healthcare, pensions and housing in each others countries as though we are citizens of both."

The Irish prime minister also wants "minimal or no disruption to trade between our two countries."

While there may be a political border between the two countries, there should be no economic border, he said.

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alan

Posr Brexit the UK/ROI border will become part of the border between the UK & EU and as such it will be both a political & economic border. Its only the appearance & practical implementation of that border which may be open to some limited discussion